Harvest on the window all year round: we grow Balcony Miracle tomatoes at home

Tomatoes, which everyone likes so much, in the middle zone ripen in the ground only in the summer. And although they are sold in stores at any time of the year, the quality of such vegetables leaves much to be desired. That's why some city dwellers prefer to grow special varieties at home and harvest them regardless of the time of year.

One of these varieties, Balcony Miracle, grows beautifully on a loggia or windowsill. Proper cultivation of tomatoes brings fragrant fruits, and an elegant plant decorates the room. Let’s look at how to get delicious tomatoes throughout the year with a minimum of effort.

Description of the variety

Balcony miracle is a determinate standard variety of tomatoes. Small bushes grow quickly. The fruits have a bright red color. The tomato does well when grown in greenhouse and indoor conditions. The variety is early ripening. The stem of the plant is strong and practically does not branch. The number of rich dark green leaves is average. The small fruits have a great taste.

It is possible to grow a balcony miracle even in winter, if the plant is provided with sufficient light, watering and temperature conditions. The variety is resistant to diseases and does not require staking or pinching. In addition to their main task, bushes also perform a decorative function: they are used as decoration for a loggia, balcony, or window sill.

On a note. This early ripening species was developed by German breeders.

Distinctive features

Growing a Balcony Miracle at home is a simple process, doable even for a beginner.

This tomato variety is a miniature standard bush with an aesthetic appearance. The bush reaches 0.5-06 m in height. The Balcony Miracle blooms in yellow. The plant looks especially impressive during the ripening period.

For your information. Since the plants are low-growing, they can be grown even in ordinary flower pots.

Fruit characteristics and yield

Distinctive features of the fruit:

• small size;
• red color;
• sweetish taste.

The dwarf bush is capable of producing up to 2 kg of fruit when grown on a balcony, even in winter. Such good performance makes the variety popular among gardeners. Small-sized tomatoes weigh from 50 to 60 g each. The crop bears fruit in 90 days and is planted continuously throughout the year.

How to grow tomatoes at home on the windowsill and balcony

To get an early harvest at home in the first months of spring, do not forget to take care of the seedlings in December-January. To collect fruits in the autumn, cultivation should begin in August.

Preparing and germinating seeds

To protect plants from diseases and rapid germination, seed material undergoes the following measures before planting:

1. We select only high-quality, round grains without obvious damage.
2. The selected seed material is placed in a container with water at room temperature. Empty grains that are unsuitable for sowing will float, so we throw them away.
3. To ensure rapid germination and protect plants from diseases, we treat sorted and dried seeds with a manganese solution. To do this, add 1 g of potassium permanganate to 100 ml of warm water.

Place 1-2 seeds in cups with moistened soil, add a small layer of soil (about 1-1.5 cm deep), and cover the top with film to create greenhouse conditions. The ambient temperature must be at least +22…+25 °C.

A few days later, when the first shoots appear, remove the film and place the plant in a warm, well-lit place. We keep the plants in cool conditions (+12...+15 °C) for a week, and then return them to their previous warm environment.

When the central stem reaches 10-15 cm in height, we transplant the plant to a permanent place in loose and moist soil. Containers must have drainage.

To create a favorable climate for the plant indoors, place a glass or jar of water nearby. This approach provides crop-dry indoor air with an optimal level of humidity. Tomatoes do not like drafts, therefore, when airing the room, it is better to remove them from the windowsill.

We put the plant in a dark place for several days, and then return it to lighted and warmed areas, since there is a possibility that the seedlings will grow too many. If there are any extra bushes left, plant them in open ground or a greenhouse, keeping a distance of 30 cm between them.

Container and soil

To grow seedlings you will need boxes, plastic containers or plastic bags (be sure to make holes at the bottom for drainage). It is also not forbidden to use cups made of peat, plastic or paper. Plants grown in individual containers are easier to transplant.

We fill the selected container with soil from chernozem and humus (50/50), add sand (5% of the total mass of the soil).To create nutritious soil, add 8-10 g of carbamide (urea), 1 glass of ash, 35-40 g of superphosphate and 30-35 g of potassium sulfate.

Sowing

We sow seeds in February-March. Pour the prepared soil into a container and water it with warm water a few days before planting. It is not necessary to soak the seeds; they are sown dry. The depth of laying the grains is about 1-1.5 cm. When the shoots appear, we leave the stronger plant, and pinch the other one, but do not remove it, so as not to damage the root system of the strong sprout.

Growing and care

Growing a balcony miracle is simple and interesting. The plant is unpretentious, but it is still worth giving it due attention.

Proper care involves creating the following conditions:

1. The most suitable temperature regime for tomatoes is +22 °C during the day and +16 °C at night.
2. During flowering, the plant is periodically shaken to stimulate the ovaries.
3. The crop should not be watered with freshly drawn tap water, as it contains harmful impurities, for example, hydrogen sulfide, chlorine, and rust. It is necessary to fill the bottles with water in advance and leave them to settle for several days. You can also prepare a nutrient solution for watering tomatoes: add 1 g of potassium sulfate, 1 g of urea and 5 g of superphosphate to 1 liter of settled water.

Specialized stores sell ready-made fertilizers for watering tomatoes. Feeding applied during flowering and fruit set. If you do everything correctly, cultivation is sure to be successful.

Features of cultivation and possible difficulties

The leaves of healthy plants, for which favorable conditions for comfortable growth have been created, tend to curl in the daytime and take on their original appearance at night.

Tomato flower stalks should be large in size and bright yellow in color. Such plants are guaranteed to bring a bountiful harvest. When growing, it is important to know what problems you are likely to encounter and how to eliminate them.

The most common difficulties encountered are:

1. If the leaves do not change shape at different times of the day, it means cultural development is going wrong. Such a turn often leads to the falling of flowers, and too small fruits grow from the remaining ovary. The reason for this is lack of moisture, too high or low air temperature in the room, or lack of light. It is important to identify and eliminate the factor interfering with the normal development of tomatoes as quickly as possible.
2. A tomato bush that is too tall and strong, with a huge number of leaves, will bloom poorly and bear fruit sluggishly. The reason for this is excessive attention to the plant, namely frequent watering and abundant feeding. Raising the room temperature by a few degrees and stopping watering for 8-10 days will help bring the plant in order. Watering with a special solution will also delay the growth of the bush. To prepare it you will need to dilute 3 tbsp. l. superphosphate in a bucket of settled water.

Having grown the Balcony Miracle on your own loggia or windowsill, you will enjoy the juicy fruits all year round and are unlikely to give up this beautiful and useful plant in the future.

Diseases and pests

The Balcony Miracle variety is quite resistant to diseases, as it is grown at home. However, diseases do occur.

If dark spots appear on the stems, leaves or fruits, this is a sign of late blight. The disease can destroy a plant in a short time.In addition, the fungus tends to spread throughout the house and affect other plants. Late blight appears due to high indoor humidity.

To combat it, special means are used that effectively remove the pathogen.

The best drugs for late blight:

1. «Fitosporin-M» used at any stage of cultural development. The treatment is carried out on a cloudy day or at night.
2. «Trichodermin» – an organic fungicide that protects the root system from fungal infections. Additionally, it improves the health of the soil.
3. «Antrakol» – a drug that does not have a toxic effect. Protects the plant for two weeks.
4. "Baikal EM"» contains many microorganisms that help fight late blight. The product is suitable for spraying and watering.
5. «Quadris» – a preparation for spraying tomatoes growing in protected or open ground. For treatment, 2 applications with an interval of 10 days are sufficient.

Attention! If one plant is sick, it is better not to risk it and get rid of it immediately, not forgetting to change the climatic conditions for the remaining bushes.

There is a possibility of pests when growing tomatoes on an open balcony. These are aphids and spider mites. If parasites appear, be sure to treat the affected plants with a non-toxic preparation or simply wash the bushes with soapy water.

Harvesting and application

The fruits of the Balcony Miracle are harvested without allowing them to fully ripen - this way new ovaries will form faster. Tomatoes ripen and acquire a beautiful color in a well-ventilated room at +15...+16 °C. At lower temperatures, the tomatoes will remain green.

The harvest can be stored for up to 2 months if there are no cracks or dents on the skin.It is better to keep the fruits in a wooden box in a cool, ventilated area.

Balcony miracle is a universal type of tomato. The fruits are suitable not only for fresh consumption. They are used for canning, preparing salads, as ingredients for second and first courses. The vegetables are frozen and made into delicious juice, puree, and tomato paste.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

The main advantages of Balcony Miracle tomatoes include:

• the possibility of growing tomatoes in a small amount of soil on a balcony or windowsill;
• compactness and decorative properties of bushes;
• resistance to lack of sunlight;
• pleasant taste;
• resistance to diseases and pests.

Disadvantages of the variety:

• low yield compared to conventional varieties;
• the need to collect unripe fruits for the development of the next ones;
• dense skin of ripe tomatoes.

Considering the decorative nature of the variety and its suitability for growing at home even in winter, the disadvantages are insignificant.

Reviews from those who grew

The semi-ornamental tomato variety Balcony Miracle is loved by beginners and experienced gardeners. Thanks to the characteristics of the variety, it can be grown even by those who do not have a summer cottage. Most opinions about the variety agree on positive aspects.

Nikolay, Yoshkar-Ola: “The compact tomato Balcony Miracle impressed and surprised! An excellent, low-growing variety that sets well and bears fruit perfectly. I can grow it both in the garden and on my balcony. The taste is excellent, we freeze the tomatoes and can them for decoration in a jar. These mini tomatoes are truly a miracle! The plant looks very beautiful at home; a small pot and a minimum of soil are suitable for it. I recommend to all".

Vladimir, Mr.Tver: “Once I heard that there is a variety of tomatoes that are grown right on the windowsill, I didn’t believe it, I decided to try it. The Balcony Miracle variety is good, I liked it. Beautiful bushes can enliven the interior of a balcony or room. I have only good things to say about tomatoes. They never got sick or froze, and when ripe, they delighted us with their sweet taste. I didn't notice any cons. The harvest is good. What I noticed: tomatoes grow poorly in small pots and there is little yield. The variety is not suitable for sale, since its yield is good only for ornamental varieties. In general, relatively few tomatoes grow.”

Anna, Orel: “I saw some interesting indoor plants from my neighbor. She said that these were tomatoes, I didn’t believe her, I decided to try it. I planted this Balcony Miracle. The fruits began to appear quickly, so great! I would like to warn other lovers of balcony vegetation: do not tear off the leaves; flowers of future fruits often form under them. The bushes are very attractive and bright, they look beautiful on the balcony, the plants are easy to care for, and their main advantage is the pleasant taste of tomatoes!”

Conclusion

The Balcony Miracle variety is one of the most unpretentious ornamental plants. Even a beginner can grow seedlings, since caring for the plant consists only of regular watering, maintaining room temperature and ensuring optimal humidity. Feeding is applied at will; there is no need to add stepson. Tomatoes of this variety practically do not get sick. And the bushes themselves, strewn with bright fruits, will decorate the room no worse than an indoor flower.

How to grow a balcony miracle at home? All the nuances of the process are in the video: